


Another's Comfort

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid - Fandom
Genre: Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Reader, Autistic Spencer Reid, F/M, Reader-Insert, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 11:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11668194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	Another's Comfort

“She’s not going to be easy to interview,” Hotch said, as he and the rest of the team gazed into one of the interview rooms. Y/N was sitting with her legs tucked underneath her and her knees hugged tightly to her chest. Slightly shaky, she also had tears streaming down her face. It was difficult to watch. 

After walking into a possible victim’s house, the team was met with the gruesome picture of the mother lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, an open and unholy scar adorning her neck. By the looks of the crime scene, she’d been there for quite a while, considering that the blood had started seeping into the nearby rug. Her daughter, Y/N, was hiding up in the closet, shaking uncontrollably and sobbing into her hands. When the local PD found her, they attempted to touch her, meaning well and wanting to help her up, but he panicked at the touch; they’d barely gotten her in here. “Reid,” Hotch said. “Why don’t you interview her?”

“Even I may not be able to get through to her right now Hotch,” he replied. It was fairly evident that Y/N was autistic, so he knew why Hotch had asked him to interview her. “She’s traumatized. At the very least, she heard what happened to her mother, at the most, she saw it and even knows who did it.”

With a deep sigh, Hotch nodded, acknowledging the possibility that they weren’t going to get any information out of her. “I understand, but you’re our best hope. Do what you can.”

Hotch turned on his heels, his shoes scraping the linoleum floors outside the room and placed his hand on Reid’s shoulder before walking out of the room to leave to do what he could. For another few moments, Reid looked inside, studying her movements and developing the best way to approach her. Finally, he felt comfortable enough to talk to her.

The moment he walked into the room, Y/N’s head popped up from where it was buried in her knees, her eyes awash with fear and uncertainty. “It’s okay,” Reid said softly, sitting nearly 10 feet away from her. She needed to feel safe, and right now that meant as few people as possible. “My name is Dr. Reid and I’d like to ask you a few questions, but I won’t ask you anything until you’re ready.”

Her eyes softened at his words, the tears falling without any effort. As she blinked them from her vision, she focused on his own movements, feeling more comfortable zeroing in on small movements rather than the whole person. The Doctor fiddled with his thumbs a lot, and she noticed that when she did make eye contact with him, it was only briefly, on her part and his. Nearly 20 minutes passed before she said anything. “What can I tell you?” She asked so quietly it was almost inaudible.

Spencer smiled softly to himself before looking up. Asking what happened was too broad of a question. She was there to some degree, so he needed to ask her pointed questions. “Were you in the house when it happened?”

Y/N’s lip quivered and she nodded, attempting to form words and failing. “Take your time,” he said. “I want you to be comfortable. Is it okay if I move closer?”

“Yes,” she said, slight surprise tinging her voice. “But only to that chair please.” Did he know she was autistic? He seemed to; people normally assumed it was okay to touch her. The police before had meant well, but she’d panicked when the officer had touched her arm. She wasn’t sure if she could adequately express to Dr. Reid how grateful she was for his desire to keep her comfortable. 

Spencer did as she asked, sitting in another chair about halfway between where he was and where she remained. Behind her tears were beautiful eyes tinged with fear that played well off her wavy hair. “You heard some of what happened?” Again, she nodded. “Did you see anything?”

“Yes,” she said. Her mind flashed back to hours before when she heard a vase fall to floor and shatter. After going to her mother’s house following work, she had been desperate to sleep for a while to escape the overwhelmed feeling that was flooding her, and had been woken up suddenly by the sound - her nerves on edge. When she peeked around the corner and down the stairs, she saw a bearded man holding her mother around the throat. She’d struggled, but he was too strong and when he pulled her back and took the knife to her throat, she saw him. “I know him.”

Spencer’s eyes widened at the revelation. This was the closest they had been to actually finding their unsub. It felt natural to move closer, to give her some kind of comfort, but he held himself back. “Do you know his name? Or you’ve seen him?”

“I’ve seen him,” she said, unfolding her legs out from under her and pivoting herself toward him. Having been in the same room with him for about 30 minutes now, she was starting to feel more comfortable around him. “I got my job through a program that helps people with developmental disabilities get consistent work. He was there.”

“Do you remember the name of the place you went to?”

“The Arc,” she replied.

“Thank you. I just have to make sure we don’t need you to answer anymore questions and then I’ll have someone come and take you home, okay?” Getting up from his chair, he went to grab the door and was stopped in his tracks by her voice.

“Dr. Reid?”

Spencer turned around. 

“Is there a chance that you can be the one to take me home? I don’t feel…you know…comfortable with anyone else.” For the first time since he’d walked in, she made direct eye contact with him, though it faltered slightly after a few seconds. She was petrified with going home with anyone else.

Spencer gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell my team I’m going to take you home.”

As he left, she breathed a sigh of relief.

—-

Spencer wasn’t really sure if it was appropriate or not, but he found himself unable to say no. Y/N had asked if she could call him every now and then if she felt overwhelmed; she wasn’t comfortable with many people and his soft voice had really helped her, so he’d said yes.

Nothing was supposed to happen. He was just supposed to talk to her every so often, but as the weeks wore on, he noticed the conversation turning away from what happened and more toward personal questions - their favorite colors, movies and television shows, their dreams for the future. It would dip back into what happened to her mother, mainly during the middle of the night, when she’d call crying, but for the most part, she found herself wanting to get to know more about the sweet, BAU Doctor.

He felt the same. Everything he learned about her, he liked. Morgan had once formed too personal a connection with someone they worked with, but Spencer was reluctant to let this growing feeling go; he so rarely felt it. “Y/N?” he asked as he picked up the phone. She was sobbing. In all likelihood, she’d woken up with a nightmare. “It’s me. It’s Spencer. You’re okay.”

“Spencer,” she cried. “I know he’s in jail now but I can’t get him out of my head. I haven’t slept well in weeks.”

He knew that feeling all too well. “Y/N, I’m so sorry,” he said, tossing between curling further into his bed and pacing around the room. He wanted to be there to help her and panicked slightly when she didn’t say anything. “Y/N? Are you okay? Are you there?”

“I’m here,” she said. “Will…nevermind.”

“What is it?”

“Will you come over?” Her brain said to keep the question to herself but her mouth said differently. “I don’t want to be alone.”

For a few moments, he tossed the idea around in his mind. There was a chance that what he was feeling wasn’t okay, but he cared for her, and he truly wanted to get to know her. As his voice comforted her in a dark time, her voice had done the same for him over the past few weeks. “I’ll be over soon.”

At 2 AM, he arrived at Y/N’s apartment. “Hi,” he said. “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little. Especially now that you’re here.” Reaching out, she grazed her hand against his, feeling the slight spark she’d never felt before. 

Spencer’s instinct was to pull away. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but she had been the one to reach out, and he couldn’t deny the feeling of her hand in his. Gently, she guided him inside and closed the door before they both settled on opposite ends of the couch, wrapped up in separate blankets, just thankful for the comfort of another.


End file.
